Who knows the true story of the two Ferrari Bartoletti 642 rn2 racetransporters ? | Page 6 | FerrariChat

Who knows the true story of the two Ferrari Bartoletti 642 rn2 racetransporters ?

Discussion in 'Vintage (thru 365 GTC4)' started by andymont, Nov 18, 2008.

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  1. steve58

    steve58 Karting
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    Oct 9, 2010
    179
    Montecavolo - Italy
    Full Name:
    Stefano Iori
    #126 steve58, Oct 12, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  2. Gramps

    Gramps Karting

    Nov 5, 2003
    117
    Stafford Virginia, USA
    Full Name:
    Gary McNutt
    This is the history of the Scarab transporter as I know it based upon the research of Bjorn Kjer and myself.

    Ordered by and built for Reventlow Automobiles Inc
    Used by RAI F1 team in Europe
    Loaned to Lotus
    Returned to Bartoletti
    Prepared for Camoradi with 3rd axle added, but not delivered due to lack of funds
    Purchased and used by Shelby America, driven by Ermano Coughi (see book Racing Mechanic)
    Loaned to Alan Mann in support of Shelby American Cobras and Ford GT40s
    Sold to John Woolfe for his sports cars and dragsters
    Sold to David Piper, painted BP green then red in Ferrari motif for the movie Le Mans
    Sold to JCB for historic racing transport
    Sold to Harvey Cluxton for his Mirage Team
    Shipped to Arizona and purchased by Michael Shoen (see book Cobra Ferrari Wars)
    Claimed by U Haul Inc and left in desert
    Sold to and restored by Don Orosco as Scarab transporter but with 3rd axle intact
     
  3. ilconservatore

    ilconservatore F1 Veteran

    May 18, 2009
    8,369
    Cincinnati Ohio
    That would make a great poster, I'd buy one.
     
  4. bluebird

    bluebird Rookie

    Oct 28, 2011
    1
    #129 bluebird, Oct 28, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  5. bigodino

    bigodino F1 World Champ
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    Apr 29, 2004
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    The Netherlands
    Full Name:
    Peter den Biggelaar
    I'm sorry if this has been mentioned but I couldn't find the answer scanning this thread: when was the first year these transporters (642) were used? Thanks.
     
  6. andymont

    andymont Formula Junior

    May 16, 2007
    523
    Torino - ITALY
    Full Name:
    Andrea M.
    These are the data concerning the four opendecks Fiat/Bartoletti owned by Ferrari :

    FIAT 642 RN (MO 35150) grey - registered xx/xx/1955 sold xx/xx/1957

    FIAT 642 RN2 (MO 42628) red - registered 23/3/1957 sold 30/4/1963
    FIAT 642 RN2 (MO 42629) red - registered 23/3/1957 sold 31/12/1965

    FIAT 682 RN2 (MO 53210) red - registered 22/9/1959 sold 21/3/1970

    Ciao

    Andrea
     
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  7. Phil Ward

    Phil Ward Rookie

    Oct 27, 2010
    18
    Kansas
    Full Name:
    Phil Ward
  8. Elna

    Elna Rookie

    Dec 3, 2011
    2
    Good evening,
    I´m new here, this is my first post. And a bit embarrysing as I would like to ask a question regarding thit fabulous drawing of the Bartoletti.
    I have searched for the wheelbase of this transporter for a long time without any result, but maybe now? I can´t read it, but maybe someone else?

    Regards/ Leif A.
     
  9. kikali

    kikali Rookie

    Jul 7, 2012
    1
    Yes you are correct, did you get any feedback or answers to your question regarding finding an old model and converting it into a transporter? Did you hear of anyone doing this? Would be glad to talk to someone who has done this
     
  10. silver1331

    silver1331 Formula Junior
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    Feb 9, 2009
    520
    #135 silver1331, Jul 18, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  11. bigodino

    bigodino F1 World Champ
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    Apr 29, 2004
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    Peter den Biggelaar
    #136 bigodino, Jul 4, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  12. GIOTTO

    GIOTTO F1 Rookie
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    Dec 30, 2006
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  13. andymont

    andymont Formula Junior

    May 16, 2007
    523
    Torino - ITALY
    Full Name:
    Andrea M.
    I know very well these three pictures.
    I am also looking, in vain for now, for more photos of this trailer.
    And I would also be extremely curious to know which vehicle it was attached to, since I have never seen a photo of this one.
     
  14. omd78

    omd78 F1 World Champ

    Dec 26, 2005
    13,137
    Breda, Netherlands
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    Martin
  15. GIOTTO

    GIOTTO F1 Rookie
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    Two photos with Enzo Ferrari in Maranello, 1961. The third photo is #1539GT unloaded for the Salon de Paris 1959.
     
  16. clive beecham

    clive beecham Karting

    Mar 28, 2009
    68
    Now that Giotto has once again kickstarted Andymont’s great thread on the Ferrari Transporters, and given that I am kicking my heels a bit, like millions of others with the ongoing Corona Virus lockdowns, I though I’d write a bit about my short experiences with the transporter Richard Freshman and I bought from the Finarte Auction at Modena in 1988. We bought it for the then price of a second hand 308, which, given the amount of restoration required at the time, seemed like a little bit of indulgent madness.

    However, think of ‘the Grand Old Man’mwaving the old girl (and her two sisters) away from the gates of Maranello, as she carried his ‘troops’ and the hopes and dreams of Italy into battle: The 315/335s to the Mille Miglia, the Le Mans winning run of 1958/60/61/62Testa Rossas, the early P cars, the 1958 Championship winning F1 Dinos and the fabulous Sharknose F1 Cars thereafter, all the way up to the F1 158/1512. Think of the catalogue of great drivers who shared her experiences: World Champions Hawthorn, Hill and Surtees; Castelloti, Musso, De Portago, Collins, The Rodrigues Brothers, Brooks, Von Tripps, Bandini and so the list goes on. I remember when the finished article was on display at the first Goodwood Festival of Speed, Cliff Allison (1960 works driver) walked up to me and mentioned how on seeing the transporter, the memories of it carrying ‘his’ cars and the way the Paddocks of Europe would bristle with excitement as the Ferrari team cars arrived, all came flooding back to him. This purchase may have been quite an exercise - and a seemingly expensive one at the time, but it was a very special piece of history.


    Our Fiat 642 N2 Transporter bodied by Bartoletti and registered to Ferrari on March 23rd 1957 was in service with Ferrari until December 1965. Chassis #02989 with original number plate MO42629 was then passed to Scuderia Jolly Club of Milan until 1970, Techno of Bologna until 1973 and then finally the Scuderia CSAI Racing Team.

    Richard, who I had only just got to know, owned Fossil Motorsports in California, and it was he who came up the idea, the inspiration and the ability to direct the project; I was a paying half share partner, providing enthusiastic moral support, but along for the ride, if you pardon the pun.

    Richard contacted Bartoletti to see if they would restore the transporter and they declined, but opened up their archives to provide photos and blueprints. He finally selected Carrozzeria di Ferrari of Modena, specialists in modifying buses and and custom coaches to do the restoration and so the project began, lasting well over 2 years. Richard sourced parts and did his research, but as mentioned by someone earlier in this thread, he hit a brick wall trying to source a lifting mechanism for the cars to be pulled on board - easier to find a street map of Atlantis, he surmised! Eventually, he traded a 1937 Indian Chief Motorcycle magneto, headlamp and gas tank cap with a local motorcycle enthusiast who said he would make the parts in trade, as he also happened to manufacture hydraulic systems for cranes - job done.

    I have included a few photos of the restoration and on completion, after a brief display in Italy and attending the MM in the Scaglietti car park, she came over to the UK for a couple of years before then going over to Richard in the States. Her first UK showing was at the Christie’s May 1992 meeting at Silverstone, where Jim Allington placed his 1959 TR #0770 back on familiar ground. Later at the Goodwood FoS, she sat alongside Dick Skipworth’s similarly newly restored Ecurie Ecosse Transporter which hailed from 1960. Ferrrai restorer and Truck enthusiast Terry Hoyle looked after the ‘Old Beastie’ for me, whilst Ray Jenkins of the Prancing Horse Register, another truck loving Ferrari-mad enthusiast, drove her to meets around the country.

    I only drove the Transporter once. I used to organise private Test Days for my company Kinnerton’s customers, inviting Stirling Moss, Derek Bell and Tony Brooks to drive customers around in cars that were special and owned by friends and colleagues of mine. Latterly the days were at Goodwood, but at Boreham, I got into the old girl’s driving seat for the first time and promptly reversed into an E Type Jaguar. 10 yards certainly represents a low mileage provenance on my part! When the time came for Richard to have his share of the fun on his side of the Atlantic, I organised a Round London Farewell Bus Tour for several of my friends, and round we went, bringing traffic to a standstill in front of Harrods, The Michelin Building and several other stops.

    Of all the cars I have owned, the sale of the Transporter is the one I regret most. It came about because Richard wanted to sell his half and I didn’t want to buy back something I already seemingly owned (even if I was too dumb to be able to drive it) for a (now) much, much higher price, nor did I want a half share with someone I didn’t personally know.

    Just as an aside, whilst I write about the Goodwood Test Days I organised, one year, with Tony Brooks and Stirling in attendance, amongst the fabulous cars we had present, was Peter Sachs with his 335S, #0700, ex Collins and Klementaski, with none other than Louis Klementaski in tow as well. John Young, a veteran Classic Car enthusiast approached me in the morning and asked if he could join us for lunch in the Goodwood Circuit Clock Tower, with a few friends who were staying over at ‘the House’ (Goodwood House). The friends? None other than Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori......so we had the best part of the whole Aston Martin 1959 works team present: Stirling Moss, Tony Brooks, Carroll Shelby, Roy Salvadori plus of course Louis Klementaski who had done the MM with Aston Martin as well. He later wrote back to say how much he enjoyed the lunch that day and how it was even more special than the proceedings going on at the Big House and FoS a few days later.

    Happy (and as of now, happier) Times.

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  17. clive beecham

    clive beecham Karting

    Mar 28, 2009
    68
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  18. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
    Honorary

    Mar 2, 2005
    22,739
    Super story, thank you Clive.
    That really makes my day.

    Bartoletti truck 002989 was color featured in the Italian car magazine "Auto Capital", issue of December 1990, authored by Giuseppe Romanelli.
    In March 1992 the truck was advertised for sale with a small black-white photograph in the Italian car magazine „Auto Capital“, with an Italian telephone number given as 0432-759210.
    In May 1994 it was color pictured in the Italian car magazine „Auto D’Epoca“, page 60, bottom right, historic photo taken in Jesolo (near Venice).
    In 1995 it was sold to Fritz Grashei in Germany.
    In 1998 it was color pictured on page 48 of the German "Ferrari" magazine, issue 2/1998.
    In 2008 it was consigned to German dealer Axel Schütte Automobile.
    In April 2009 it was displayed during the Techno Classica in Essen, Germany.

    Marcel Massini
     
  19. andymont

    andymont Formula Junior

    May 16, 2007
    523
    Torino - ITALY
    Full Name:
    Andrea M.
    #144 andymont, Apr 4, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2020
    Hi Clive, how are you ? Nice to read you.
    As You already know , the Ferrari race-transporters are one of my favourites items of the Ferrari history, so I've collected hundreds of pictures of them.

    Concerning the Bartoletti's saga, and about tha Fiat 642RN2 model, there was a twin of "your" gorgeous truck.

    It has been registered with plate MO 42628 on March 3rd 1957. I don't know the original vin number and motor number .
    I know that it has been in service till April 4th 1963 when it was sold to Baricchi, a modenese transport company, that worked for the Scuderia. Baricchi repainted it in green/creme .

    I know that it has been then sold to a certain Pellicciari of Castelfranco Emilia near Modena.

    At last, I know that finished in the Shirley collection, now showing the vin # 003002 and motor # 364A 019092.
    Unfortunately the restoration work, made by SilmaBus of Modena, has not been so accurate than "your".
     
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  20. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Mar 2, 2005
    22,739
    Here's the Italian PRA doc for MO 42628, chassis #003002.

    Marcel Massini

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  21. GIOTTO

    GIOTTO F1 Rookie
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  22. clive beecham

    clive beecham Karting

    Mar 28, 2009
    68
    Now a special question for the experts.

    Why were the Transporters RHD?

    Of course, I fully realise that we British have got things right and the rest of the world (with a few honourable exceptions) have got it wrong, but I’m not sure that Enzo fully bought into that, despite his liking for British drivers, so .....who knows?
     
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  23. GIOTTO

    GIOTTO F1 Rookie
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    I know the answer, but Andrea will explain it better.
     
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  24. andymont

    andymont Formula Junior

    May 16, 2007
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    Andrea M.
    #149 andymont, Apr 4, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2020


    - In Italy , road traffic changed by law from left to right hand since 1/1/1924.
    - At that time, our roads were rather narrow and the most part remained in the same conditions till the sixties, the years that saw the great changes .
    - Due to the above reason, the most part of drivers felt safer when driving a RHD car, since in this way it was easier to follow the right side limit of the road, especially in meeting another vehicle coming from the opposite direction.
    - Even the more skilled drivers didn't agreed the 1924 changes, so , they continued to prefer RHD cars, also because such a car pointed out the distinction of his owner/driver.
    - So, some premium Italian car brands, in those years (and till the end of fifties) built most of their cars in RHD version because, this represented also a good solution of marketing, for the markets under British influence.
    - The heavy veichles (over 10 tons.) mantained the RHD by law till 1978. And the reason was just to make easier the drive of a truck on the narrow roads.
    - Things changed when the roads became larger and safer after the '60s and when the last diehards drivers, realized that it was much more comfortable to pay tolls on motorways or to show documents at customs borders, from the left window...
     
  25. clive beecham

    clive beecham Karting

    Mar 28, 2009
    68
    I have a different answer Andrea. Certainly upmarket brands of cars had RHD, post war, especially those with a racing pedigree, as most circuits go clockwise, and therefore it is easier to place a race car if you sit on the right of the car. All early Ferraris were used for racing.

    As to the Transporters (and Italian trucks in general), at this time (1950s) the autostradas were few and there were no tunnels through the Alps. The Transporters therefore had to go over the Alps to reach all the race circuits around Europe, including the UK. By sitting on the right, the driver of the truck would be able to see how close to the edge of the mountain roads the wheels were when he was going down the mountains, and how close he was to the rocks and mountain face, going up the mountain, so making it a lot less dangerous. Remember, the roads were poor, with few crash barriers to stop you going over the edge and as you say, they were also narrow. Later on, as roads improved, it became unnecessary for this.

    Does that sound right? Another useless fact to add to all of our amusement! Thank you Giotto, Marcel and Andrea for you comments and the way that you keep FChat in general, going.
     

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